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Recent public discussion surrounding the academic credentials of mental health personality Cheyenne Bryant has reignited a familiar debate in healthcare: What does it really mean to earn the title “Doctor,” and what should patients and the public understand when someone uses it?
While Bryant is not a member of the nursing profession, the questions raised by her story extend far beyond one individual or one discipline. They raise questions about educational integrity, professional transparency, and public trust while creating an opportunity to examine what doctoral education represents and why context matters.
Why This Conversation Matters
For doctorally prepared nurses—and for those considering doctoral education—this discussion is especially relevant. As more nurses pursue doctoral degrees, conversations about the title “Doctor” have become increasingly common. But the issue extends well beyond nursing. It affects physicians, psychologists, pharmacists, physical therapists, audiologists, dentists, public health professionals, educators, researchers, healthcare executives, and many others whose careers include doctoral-level education.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the recent headlines is not who may use the title “Doctor,” but what that title actually tells us.
The discussion gained additional momentum after Pastor Jamal Bryant publicly addressed the controversy and announced that his ministry would strengthen its credential verification process for guest experts moving forward. His response broadened the conversation beyond one individual and raised an important question: What responsibility do organizations, employers, media outlets, conference organizers, educational institutions, and other public platforms have to verify the credentials of the experts they feature?
The title “Doctor” indicates that an individual has earned a doctoral degree. By itself, however, it does not identify the discipline in which the degree was earned, whether the individual holds a professional license, or the specific role they serve within healthcare.
Today’s healthcare workforce is more collaborative and interdisciplinary than ever. Patients routinely receive care from physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, pharmacists, physical therapists, social workers, and many other professionals. Many hold doctoral degrees, but each educational pathway prepares graduates for distinct responsibilities and areas of expertise.
Those differences should not be viewed as competition among professions. Rather, they reflect the diverse expertise required to deliver high-quality patient care.
Earned vs. Honorary Doctorates
Recent public discussion has also highlighted confusion surrounding the difference between earned and honorary doctorates.
Accredited colleges and universities award earned doctorates to individuals who complete rigorous academic programs. Depending on the discipline, this may involve years of graduate coursework, comprehensive examinations, original research, dissertations, scholarly projects, clinical education, or a combination of these requirements. The degree reflects advanced study and demonstrated expertise in a specific field.
Honorary doctorates serve a different purpose. Universities confer these degrees to recognize individuals whose leadership, philanthropy, innovation, public service, or lifetime achievements have made significant contributions to society or a particular profession. While these honors are meaningful and prestigious, they are distinct from academic degrees earned through formal study.
Understanding that distinction is not about elevating one accomplishment over another. Rather, it is about accurately describing what each credential represents.
A Conversation Nursing Has Navigated for Years
Long before the recent headlines, nursing had already been discussing doctoral education and professional titles.
As more nurses have earned Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and PhD degrees, discussions have centered on how doctorally prepared nurses should introduce themselves, particularly in clinical settings where patients may naturally associate the title “Doctor” with physicians. While laws, institutional policies, and professional guidance vary, one principle consistently emerges across healthcare: patients benefit from understanding both a healthcare professional’s role and qualifications.
That conversation also reflects the diversity of doctoral education within nursing itself.
Multiple Pathways to a Doctorate
Some nurses pursue a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) to advance clinical practice. Others earn a PhD in Nursing to conduct research and expand nursing science. Still others pursue doctorates in education, public health, healthcare administration, informatics, business, organizational leadership, or related disciplines that prepare them to educate future nurses, lead healthcare organizations, influence policy, improve healthcare systems, or drive innovation.
These educational pathways are not interchangeable, nor are they hierarchical. Each develops expertise for different roles that collectively strengthen healthcare.
Helping Patients Understand Professional Credentials
Where greater transparency may be especially valuable is when the title “Doctor” is used in patient care or while providing health information to the public. Identifying not only one’s professional role but also the discipline in which the doctorate was earned can help patients and audiences better understand the expertise being presented.
That is the approach taken by Imelda Reyes, DNP, MPH, APRN, FAANP, nurse practitioner, dean and professor at the University of West Georgia Tanner Health School of Nursing.
“I always introduce myself as Imelda, your nurse practitioner,” Reyes said. “If I were to choose Dr. Reyes, I would always follow up with, ‘I will be your NP for your care today,’ because I think it is important to differentiate yourself within the healthcare team.”
Marlo D. Robinson, DNP, JD, RN, dean and vice president of the School of Nursing at Purdue Global, believes transparency begins with helping healthcare professionals clearly explain both their role and the expertise behind their degree.
“We can encourage contextual, role-anchored introductions in both learning and practice environments,” Robinson said. “Helping clinicians and faculty naturally articulate their unique background allows people to understand not only that someone holds a doctorate, but also the expertise that degree represents.”
Robinson said healthcare organizations and academic institutions can make credentials easier to understand through practical strategies such as role-specific identification badges, patient-friendly biographies, and educational materials explaining how different doctoral degrees contribute to patient care, education, research, and leadership. Rather than expecting patients to interpret a string of academic credentials, she said these tools can help translate degrees into the expertise they represent.
Moving the Conversation Forward
Public debate often centers on a single question: Who has the right to use the title “Doctor”?
Robinson believes the conversation should shift from debating titles to helping patients better understand the education and expertise behind them.
“Rather than focusing solely on who or why a doctorally prepared professional has the right to use the title ‘Doctor,’ the healthcare community has a wonderful opportunity to shift toward a more inclusive, patient-centered conversation focused on transparency, educational context, and genuine connection,” Robinson said.
She suggests simple strategies that can make a meaningful difference, including clear badge identifiers, patient welcome materials that explain how members of the healthcare team work together, and faculty biographies that describe how different doctoral degrees contribute to nursing education, research, leadership, and clinical practice.
Why Context Builds Trust
Consider the difference between these introductions:
“Hello, I’m Dr. Jane Smith.”
And:
“Hello, I’m Dr. Jane Smith. I’m a family nurse practitioner, and my doctorate is in nursing practice.”
Or:
“I’m Dr. Robert Jones, a nurse educator with a doctorate in education.”
Or:
“I’m Dr. Maria Garcia, a licensed clinical psychologist.”
Each introduction is accurate. The latter examples provide additional information that helps patients and the public understand the professional’s qualifications, expertise, and role.
Clear communication does not diminish professional credibility. It strengthens understanding and builds trust.
Beyond the Headlines
The public discussion surrounding Cheyenne Bryant will eventually fade, but the broader questions it raised are likely to remain. As healthcare continues to evolve and more professionals pursue doctoral education across a wide range of disciplines, opportunities to educate the public about professional credentials will only become more important.
Healthcare has never been defined by titles alone. It is built on competence, ethics, education, and the trust professionals establish with those they serve. Whether a doctorate is earned in nursing, medicine, psychology, education, public health, business, or another field, it represents years of advanced study and specialized expertise.
Building Trust Through Transparency
Helping patients and the public understand not only that someone earned a doctorate, but also the discipline in which it was earned and the professional role that individual serves, does not diminish the achievement. It provides the context people need to better understand the professionals caring for them.
For nursing, this discussion is about more than what appears before or after someone’s name. It is an opportunity to reinforce the profession’s longstanding commitment to education, transparency, and public trust.
While professional organizations and state regulations vary in how the title is used in clinical settings, many healthcare organizations encourage clear communication about a professional’s role and qualifications to help patients better understand who is providing their care.
Rather than allowing these moments to become debates over titles alone, healthcare professionals can use them to foster greater understanding of the many educational pathways that contribute to modern patient care. As more clinicians, educators, researchers, and leaders earn doctoral degrees, the conversation may be less about who can use the title “Doctor” and more about helping patients understand what that title means. Clear communication about educational preparation, professional roles, and expertise does not diminish academic achievement—it helps strengthen the trust that effective healthcare depends on.
